Search
Research
Continued challenge of rheumatic heart disease: The gap of understanding or the gap of implementation?We still do not have a RF vaccine, although the recent announcement that the Australian and New Zealand governments are jointly sponsoring a program to fast...
News & Events
Triple triumph for The Kids at 2025 Premier’s Science AwardsThree researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia were recognised as being among Western Australia’s brightest and most innovative scientific minds at last night’s 24th Premier's Science Awards.
Research
Streptococcus pyogenes Surveillance Through Surface Swab Samples to Track the Emergence of Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome in Rural JapanJapan recently experienced a record surge in streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Our environmental surveillance study reveals that Streptococcus pyogenes persists seasonally, peaking in autumn and winter in rural Japan. The dominant emm1 M1UK sublineage and csrS mutations heighten virulence, highlighting the urgent need for targeted surveillance and interventions.
Research
Scabies and risk of skin sores in remote Australian Aboriginal communities: A self-controlled case series studyThe association between scabies and skin sores is highly significant and indicates a causal relationship
Research
Comparison of group A streptococcal titres in healthy children and those with pharyngitis and skin infectionsRates of acute rheumatic fever, a sequelae of group A Streptococcal (GAS) infection, remain unacceptably high in Indigenous Māori and Pacific children in New Zealand. This prospective study aimed to describe GAS antibody titres in healthy children (5–14 years) by ethnicity, and to determine how paired titres vary with GAS culture positive and negative pharyngitis, and GAS skin infections.
Research
Prevention of bacterial complications of scabies using mass drug administration: A population-based, before-after trial in Fiji, 2018–2020Scabies is an important predisposing factor of impetigo which can lead to serious bacterial complications. Ivermectin-based mass drug administration can substantially reduce scabies and impetigo prevalence in endemic settings, but the impact on serious bacterial complications is not known.
Research
Clindamycin adjunctive therapy for severe Staphylococcus aureus treatment evaluation (CASSETTE)-an open-labelled pilot randomized controlled trialCombination antibiotic therapy with an antitoxin agent, such as clindamycin, is included in some guidelines for severe, toxin-mediated Staphylococcus aureus infections. The evidence to support this practice is currently limited to in vitro, animal and observational human case-series data, with no previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Research
Are scabies and impetigo “normalised”? A cross-sectional comparative study of hospitalised children in northern Australia assessing clinical recognitionScabies and impetigo infections are under-recognised and hence under-treated by clinicians
Research
In vitro antibacterial activity of Western Australian honeys, and manuka honey, against bacteria implicated in impetigoImpetigo is a contagious skin disease caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Without treatment, impetigo may be recurrent, develop into severe disease, or have serious, life-threatening sequelae. Standard treatment consists of topical or systemic antibiotic therapy (depending on severity), however, due to antibiotic resistance some therapies are increasingly ineffective.
News & Events
Prestigious invite for WA infectious disease expertsTwo Perth clinician-scientists have been recognised as national leaders in infectious disease research after being elected as Fellows of the esteemed Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.